Visiting a Friend
by MagicLia16
Summary: Will didn't die when he saved Arthur from the arrow shot by Kanen. What happens when he comes to visit Merlin in Camelot and how long will it take before they get into trouble? AU 1x10 Moment of Truth
1. The Moment of Truth

_**Hey! I'm Lia. I have always been so sad that Will had to die, so one day I had a thought: What if he didn't? The seed was planted and this fic was born. I hope you like it! 3...2...1… READ!**_

~(3)~

"Who did that?"

Arthur scanned the area, trying to see where the magical windstorm came from. It had appeared out of nowhere, blowing all the bandits away. The village looked like it had been through a giant storm, which it kind of had, though not of a natural kind. Thankfully, it had scared the bandits away, leaving most of the villagers alive. Arthur knew that Ealdor would be safe from at least these bandits, now that they had been chased out, and Kanen, their leader, laid dead on the ground. Merlin also glanced around, pretending to struggle to see the sorcerer. His childhood friend, Will stood next to him, looking quite pleased.

"What?" Merlin asked.

"Wind like that doesn't just appear out of nowhere. I know magic when I see it. One of you made that happen." Arthur was certain that it had to be either Merlin or Will; the wind seemed to come_ from_ them.

"Arthur-" Merlin started. Arthur had a moment of panic. _'It can't be Merlin. Merlin's _not_ a sorcerer!'_

"Look out!" Will had seen Kanen aiming a bow at Arthur from where he'd been knocked to the ground. Will quickly moved to pull Arthur out of the way and they both tumbled to the ground; the fired arrow landing on the roof of a nearby house.

Arthur's eyes widened in shock. Another farm-raised country boy had saved his life. _'These Ealdor boys must be very well raised,'_ he hummed.

"You saved me," Arthur shakily thanked.

Will nodded, thinking carefully. He knew that he had one chance to save Merlin from the prince, based on what he said here and now. Will looked towards Merlin. His best friend did not want Arthur to know he had magic, and therefore, there was only one thing he could do. "That's twice now." He said, saving his friend.

"Twice?" Arthur could not believe what he was hearing. Was this man, whom had just saved his life, about the confess to sorcery? 'No,' Arthur thought. 'Merlin's not a sorcerer, and he wouldn't be friends with one either. Someone else in the village must have conjured the windstorm.'

Will said the words that he knew could kill him, but he did it for Merlin. "It was me. I'm the one who used magic."

Merlin's heart stopped for a moment at those words. He could lose his closest, oldest friend if Will continued. "Will, _don't,_" He begged.

"It's alright, Merlin. I risked my life for the prince, now I'm doing it again. Making sure sire,you know that_ it was me._ I did it. I created the wind. I saw how desperate things were becoming, and I had to do something."

Arthur could barely form a thought. He stood completely still, taking in this new information. He knew it had been magic, he'd been so sure, but he couldn't believe that it had actually been Will, the person Merlin had grown up with and who Arthur wouldn't be alive without. "You're a sorcerer?"

"Yeah," Will stated nonchilantly. He shrugged his shoulders like it didn't really matter, like it was something he was so used to that he barely even noticed it. "So, are you going to kill me?"

Arthur continued to be baffled. "You saved my life. You're a sorcerer, yet you saved my life."

"Not all those who use magic are actually evil, sire," Will pointed out.

Arthur had a contemplative look on his face. He then looked Will right in the eyes, seeming to have come to a conclusion. Will took a deep breath in, because it could have possibly been his last.

"If not for you, Will, we all would be dead; me, twice over. Since we are not in Camelot, I will spare your life."

It was almost as if the entire village breathed a sigh of relief, though not everyone did. There were a few that were not as forgiving as Arthur, though none would speak out on their hatred and doubt for fear of insulting the prince.

Arthur made a sharp turn, and stiffly walked to the forest surrounding Ealdor, a hundred thoughts and questions flying through his brain. _'Why did Will save my life? Did Merlin know about Will? Was that what he was trying to tell me earlier? Is Will really not evil? Was my father… _wrong?'

~(3)~

Back in the village, Merlin and Will walked back to the former's house. Neither could yet wrap their heads around what had just occurred between them and the prince.

"I can't believe you did that for me. You could have been killed if Arthur reacted the wrong way. You understand how wary I've been about letting Arthur know there's anything magical regarding me, yet you were ready to give your life for me. You took a huge risk for me, and I'm so happy that it went alright. I don't know what I would have done if you'd died."

"You're my best friend. I know how much you care for Arthur, but also how scared you were for him to find out your secret. I knew that if I didn't speak up, he might suspect you. I did the only thing I could think of at the moment that would spare you."

"Thank you, Will." Merlin gave him his biggest smile, the one that was so genuinely happy and thankful, it could light up even the blackest night. "It also served a lesson on how he may think of people with magic. This could be the turning point for him in realizing that magic is not evil, that it is neutral and completely up to the sorcerer to decide whether it's used for good or not. Maybe, one day, when I'm ready to tell him the truth, he will remember today and how he let a sorcerer go because they saved his life."

"I believe that, with a little help from you, eventually he will." Will hoped for Merlin's sake that Arthur would give him a chance. If not, it could mean the end of the happy-go-lucky attitude that Merlin still held.

At that moment, Arthur walked into the small home, looking for his manservant.

"Merlin." Arthur motioned for him to come outside with him. Once they were out of the house, Arthur began leading him out to the woods beyond the village so that they may have a moment alone to talk.

"Merlin, you should have told me about Will." Merlin tried to make an excuse but Arthur cut him off. "_But,_ I know why you didn't. You were worried for your friend's safety. I just want you to know that I'm not as ruthless as my father. I know that Will was doing nothing wrong, because here, magic is not illegal. It's not my place to execute a man for breaking Camelot's laws when he doesn't even live in Camelot. I just want you to know he's safe. I won't tell my father about him."

"Thank you, sire."

Arthur turned and began walking back to the village, quick enough that the startled and contemplating warlock was quickly left in the dust. "Come on, Merlin!" Arthur called back. "We've got to be leaving soon since we've defeated Kanen. Go and begin packing my stuff."

"Yes, sire!" Merlin called, and he began racing back to the horses to prepare for departure.

Once everything was gathered and ready for the journey, Merlin walked up to Will.

"Hey."

"Hi." They both paused for a moment, just thinking about what all had happened these past few days.

Merlin was the first to break their contemplative silence. "Will, thank you. You saved me from having to reveal myself to Arthur and risk my life, by risking your own. Because of you, I can continue to be by his side without having to make him choose between me and his father. So, really, thank you."

Will clapped him on the back, accepting the praise. "I know what I was risking. I did it for you because you're my best friend, and you were right; the prince is more than just an arrogant and selfish prat."

Merlin smiled at that. "Well, that too, but I'm glad that you can see his good side. It's my job to help him learn to show it just a little bit more."

"I'm going to miss you, Merlin," Will said with fondness. "Ealdor just isn't the same without you."

"What if you come visit me in Camelot? I'd love to show you around!"

"Are you crazy? I'm a known sorcerer. Even if Arthur doesn't tell the king about me out of respect for saving him and the fact that I live in another kingdom, he won't allow me to cross the border!"

"I'll see what I can do. Who knows? It may just be exactly what he needs to help him see the good in magic." Merlin gave a mysterious wink that told Will that Merlin had an idea, and was up to something.

Will secretly hoped that Merlin would be able to pull off whatever crazy scheme he had just thought up, so that he would be able to see the famous city. But for now, Will just rolled his eyes. "Good luck with that." They both laughed and talked together for a few minutes, until it was time for Merlin

"Goodbye Will, for now."

Will gave him one last nod of farewell as Merlin walked off to say goodbye to his mother, before joining his king. Arthur and Merlin bantered a bit, got on their horses, and rode off back into the land where the very thing that defined Merlin's existence was banned. That never stopped the young Warlock.

**TBC**


	2. Coming to Camelot

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited this fanfic! I can't wait for you to read this next chapter! So without further ado, read on! **_

~(3)~

_A few months later_

Merlin walked into Arthur's chambers, balancing the dinner tray as he tried to open the door… and fell down, managing to just barely save the food somehow.

"Honestly _Mer_lin! You're such a clumsy idiot. I'm astounded that you even survived childhood!" Arthur chuckled to himself as his manservant got up from the floor.

"You know you love it when I fall, Sire. It gives you a reprieve from the boredom." Merlin still had a sarcastic, teasing pep in his step, even after the recent tumble.

Once dinner was set up, Arthur ate in silence while Merlin cleaned up around the room that had gotten quite cluttered over the day. A certain royal-that-we-shall-not-name was terrible about leaving things out and not in their place. Especially today, since he was too busy watching his servant putt about nervously.

"Alright. Out with it. What do you need to tell me?" Merlin looked up at the prince's words, shrugged, and went right back to cleaning.

"You're never this quiet unless there is something on your mind, and it's usually something you would like to share with me but are too scared. So tell me." Arthur just wanted to know what was bothering his friend. Then maybe Merlin could get back to talking a lot and teasing like usual.

"It's just… I miss Will. Now that I've seen him again and had to leave, I found myself missing my childhood friend." Merlin had been slipping back down memory lane recently, recalling doing magic in the woods for hours while Will watched and tried to help as best he could. That was back before he knew his destiny; before Arthur. Sometimes Merlin wished he could go back.

"I still can't believe that a _sorcerer _saved my life. Twice."

"That's just the kind of man Will is, Sire. He wants to do what he can to help people, and be an example of good magic."

Arthur didn't quite know what to think about all this. The fact that there could be good magic was one that he hadn't ever considered before that fateful day in Ealdor a few months back. Could there really be good sorcerers? Deep down, he knew the answer, but Arthur was very cautious to come to that conclusion since any thoughts like that would be considered treason.

Arthur was brought to his senses as Merlin closed the door to take the prince's sheets to be washed. He forced all thoughts of the sorcerer out of his mind and focused on his evening duties.

~(3)~

Merlin lay in bed, having woken up early due to things on his mind.

He was really missing his friend. Merlin had told Will that he could possibly get Arthur to allow him to come to Camelot, but he had no way to get Arthur to think of it himself. Merlin came to the tough conclusion. He was going to have to ask Arthur to allow Will to visit. It was going to be a rough day.

Once it was only 15 minutes before he usually got out of bed, Merlin headed down to the kitchens, determined to be on time. He didn't want to be early, as it usually frustrated the prince when he was woken up before he'd gotten his full beauty sleep. On the other hand, if Merlin were late as usual, Arthur would be fairly cranky. Therefore, Merlin knew that in order for the prince to be in the best mood, he would have to be woken up _exactly _on time.

Once Merlin fetched all of Arthur's favorite breakfast foods that were available, he headed to the prince's chambers for the hard talk.

"Good morning, Sire!" Merlin pulled the curtains open, shining the morning sun right onto the sleeping beauty.

Arthur reluctantly opened his eyes, to see some very delicious foods set out. He slowly crawled out of bed and into the sunlight. He sat down at the table and began to eat his breakfast.

"So, _Mer_lin, what are you trying to bribe me for?"

The servant turned around, an innocently guilty look on his face. "I have a favor to ask… and you're not going to like it."

"Well, whatever it is, tell me so I can get back to enjoying my food."

Merlin hesitantly stepped closer to the table. "Will you hear me out completely before you say anything?" The prince motioned for him to continue.

"As I said yesterday, I've really been missing Will. It's also been a dream of his to come visit. He was so jealous when he heard that I was coming to live here, and since you know he's a sorcerer, his chance of ever being able to visit in secrecy is gone. I would like to invite him into the city for a week, and I want you to agree not to give him up."

Arthur practically jumped out of his seat. "What?! Merlin! He's a known sorcerer. I can't just _let him into the city!" _

"Please, Arthur. Give him one week to see the castle like he's always wanted to. I'll make sure after that he'll be gone. He saved your life, and could have died. One week. That's all I'm asking for."

The room descended into silence as Arthur thought it over. If he said yes, he would let a known sorcerer into Camelot. _But, _Will was only known to him and Merlin. He would be seen to all others as just Merlin's friend from Ealdor. And Will did save his life. It could be a good chance for him to observe how a supposedly 'good' sorcerer acts.

"Fine. I will allow this on one condition: Will does not use magic. At. All. Is that understood?"

"One hundred percent. Thank you, Arthur." Merlin turned and left the prince to his breakfast and thoughts.

~(3)~

_Dear Will, _

_I have some news! Remember what I said to you just as I was leaving Ealdor a few months ago? Well, I have talked Arthur into allowing you to come to the city for one week. He's going to keep a very close eye on you since he thinks you're a sorcerer, but other than that, you'll be free to experience what Camelot is like. It's probably best for you to come fairly soon, as the prince _may _change his mind. It's likely not, but just in case you may want to visit in the very near future. I can't wait to show you around! _

_Merlin _

_PS. Please say hello to Mother for me. I know she's been missing me, and I her. _

~(3)~

_Merlin, _

_I cannot believe that you actually convinced the prince to allow me to visit! When you spoke to me in the past, I thought that it was a joke. I'll ride for Camelot in two days time, giving you a few days after you receive this letter to prepare for my arrival. Thank you for making this possible. _

_Will _

_PS. Hunith sends all her love, and wishes you well in Camelot. _

~(3)~

Two days after the letter to Merlin was sent, Will packed his bags and set off on the journey to the city he'd always wanted to see. He couldn't help but wonder how the prince would act towards him. Obviously he would not be open and welcoming, but would he be particularly cruel, thinking Will was a sorcerer? Or would he be indifferent? That would probably be the best option.

These thoughts continued on through Will's head over the days, until he got his first glimpse of the citadel. His breath was taken away at the stunning sight. He couldn't believe that his best friend lived there.

Will made his way to the center of the city. As he got closer, he could hear the sounds of the marketplace growing. He wandered through, taking a look at all the stalls selling many different, useful items.

All of a sudden, Will found himself on what looked to be training grounds for the knights. He saw a few armored noblemen practicing their sword skills. It was fun to watch, but Will had to move on and find Merlin. Just as he was about to walk away, he heard a yelp, one that was _very _familiar to him.

Will followed the direction that the sound came from, and saw Merlin fall to the ground in front of the prince, who was holding a mace. There were some grumbling sounds to be heard from the manservant, and Prince Arthur reached to pull him up.

It was then that the warlock turned around, and saw his friend standing on the sidelines.

"Will!" He called, and ran up to give a big hug to said friend.

"Well, Merlin. You look like you could use a break." Will meant it when he said it too. Merlin looked exhausted.

"Nah. I'm used to it. Anyway, I'm so glad you could come! I trust that you made it here alright?"

"Yes, I did. I was a little worried about bandits, but I didn't cross paths with any."

Merlin had a sly smile, and Will knew something was up.

"What is it, Merlin?"

"I put a light charm on the letter I sent, to transfer to you once you'd read it. It was just to draw attention away from you on the road, so that any bandits nearby wouldn't pay you any mind."

"Thank you, Merlin"

Arthur had been in the background, eyeing the shorter of the two with slight distrust. He was still a sorcerer, even if he had saved his life. He had promised Merlin that he wouldn't tell of Will's sorcery, which meant it was up to Arthur to make sure nothing went wrong.

After he could no longer stand to watch the two, he called a break for the rest of the knights, knowing that Merlin would take it as a chance to leave with Will to show him around. Arthur watched them go before getting the knights back together to continue training. He'd check up on his manservant and the sorcerer later.

~(3)~

Merlin and Will went laughing down the halls of camelot, recounting all the adventures that had happened while they had been apart. Merlin talking about all the happenings in Camelot, and Will about Ealdor.

Eventually, they came across the physician's chambers.

As they walked up the large flight of stairs to where Merlin lived, Will couldn't help but be nervous about meeting Gaius. From what he'd heard from Merlin, Gaius was very strict, especially about magic. Would he approve of him covering for Merlin? Accuse him of being foolish and stupid?

In the end, he found he had nothing to worry about. Gaius was very welcoming, and thankful for how he saved Merlin from being revealed. They got along quite well. He was definitely Will's favorite elder.

After meeting with Gaius, Merlin took Will on a tour of the castle, showing him all the places he could usually be found.

They went through the kitchens and got scolded by the cooks, they went by the armory, to the main hall, all around the interior of the castle, the stables, and through the lower town.

By the time they were finished, it was almost sunset, and Will could safely say he was fairly well acquainted with the castle, and could probably find his way around without asking for directions more than once. Or twice. It really was a big place.

When it was time for Merlin to bring Arthur his supper, he first dropped Will off at the physician's chambers, knowing that the prince probably wouldn't want to see the 'sorcerer' again quite so soon.

Merlin entered the room and placed the tray on the table in front of an impatient prince. He cringed, coming to the realization that he was late, due to hanging with Will.

"You're late," Arthur stated, even though Merlin had figured it out. "Sorry, _Sire. _I guess I shouldn't show my guest around the place he's going to be staying for a week," Merlin said with a very obvious eye roll. "You know the conditions I allowed him here on, Merlin. He needs to be watched at all times. Just because he saved my life doesn't mean that I trust him not to cause chaos in Camelot."

Merlin just nodded, taking the hit to his identity as a sorcerer with barely a blink, extremely used to it. "I'm sorry, Sire. I'll make sure he doesn't distract me from my duties while he's here. To ease your concern about him hurting Camelot, remember that I grew up with him. He's a good guy. Also, Gaius is watching him, so he won't be using _any _magic." Arthur, seeming satisfied, began to eat his dinner.

Merlin didn't stick around long as he usually did. As soon as Arthur was finished eating, Merlin turned down the sheets, laid out Arthur's clothes, and left the prince to ready himself for bed.

Merlin headed straight back up to Gaius and Will. He and the latter hunkered down in Merlin's chambers, talking late into the night, as best friends do. When it was late enough that nearly the entire city was asleep, the two of them quietly left their chambers.

They snuck through the passageways, avoiding any guards they saw, and using a little illegal interference when they were particularly well-placed or attentive. When they reached the entrance to the dungeons, Merlin knew they would not make it through without magical help.

The current guards were not Arthur's best. Merlin was always flabbergasted at how easy it could be to fool the guards most of the time. That being said, he still couldn't walk right by them, especially not with Will as well. They were currently playing dice, as usual, so all Merlin did was have them fly off the table. The guards followed them down the hall, turning their backs to the stairwell and allowing Merlin and Will to sneak by.

As they were heading down the passage, Will gave Merlin a look, like he couldn't believe how easy it was to sneak past the guards. Merlin just rolled his eyes, shrugged, and kept moving. It was always that easy in Camelot.

After a long staircase, the tunnel finally opened into a huge cave. Will stared in wonder at the cavern under the castle, until he started at the sound of wing beats from above. He saw a shadow form on the cave wall, and a moment later, something came into view…

~(3)~

_**AAAHHHH! I'm so happy I finished! I had a lot of fun with this chapter, and playing around with the actions of the characters. It's so challenging to get the characters to do what I want them to do, while not making them too OOC. Writing VaF has given me a whole new level of respect for other writers. **_

_**I hope you enjoyed reading it! Thanks for sticking with me through the long writing period. Leave a review to let me know that you liked it! **_

_**I'm going to try to get the next chapter up by Christmas, but don't hold me to that. It's really hard to find time to write in the craziness that is the holidays. **_

_**Constructive criticism is **__**always**_ _**welcome, if you'd like to PM me and have a discussion. Thank you! **_

_**Lia **_


	3. The Dragon and the Boar

_**Hi! I'm back with another update! I hope you're all having a good day! I know you're anxious to get on and read, so I'll end the mindless chatter here. ;D **_

~(3)~

Kilgharrah landed on his rock in front of the ledge where Merlin and Will were standing. The later was completely speechless, never having seen a dragon before. He hadn't even known any were still alive.

"Young Warlock. You seem to have brought a visitor. Would you care to introduce me to the human who is, _quite_ rudely, staring?" At that, Will came out of his daze, frantically apologizing to the old dragon.

"Will," Merlin said, "this is Kilgarrrah, the only dragon left in existence. He's been giving me advice on my magic and how to help Arthur. I know he doesn't get to see a lot of people and would want to meet someone new, and you obviously have never seen a dragon before, so here we are."

"It is very nice to meet you Kilgharrah" Will said.

"And you too, Will. Though, I hope you're not planning on staying in Camelot for more than a few days. An extended stay could greatly interfere with the future of Albion."

"What?! I don't believe that." Merlin exclaims.

"Believe what you want, young warlock, but heed my warning. If your friend remains, you could alter fate itself."

With that, he dramatically flew away, leaving the two of them standing in stunned silence. "Come on, Will." Merlin got them moving back up the stairs. They snuck back through the castle and into Merlin's room. They each readied themselves for bed deep in thought, but too nervous to actually say something to the other.

Eventually, they both drifted off to sleep.

~(3)~

Since he'd been here, Arthur hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk to Will. Merlin had gotten him away from Arthur, probably knowing it was best to keep them separated.

Arthur knew what a big opportunity it was to have Will in Camelot. Provided he didn't do anything to harm anyone, which was still a large possibility with him being a sorcerer and all, he could provide a real insight to what goes on inside the minds of sorcerers, especially those who were...good…

We're sorcerers even good? Was that even true? Will saved his life, yes, but he's still a sorcerer. Every other person he'd ever met who practiced magic had tried to kill him.

Arthur knew that he had to give Will a chance, if only for Merlin. He'd promised him a week, and a week would be what he's get. Arthur was deterred to learn all he could about this seemingly powerful sorcerer.

Just then, Merlin bursted into the prince's chambers, interrupting Arthur's thoughts. Though, thankfully, he did manage to stay upright this time.

Arthur threw a pillow at Merlin for taking away his sleep time.

"Up and at 'em, Sire!" Merlin calls after dodging the flying projectile.

"Merlin, today we're going on a hunt," Arthur said. "I'm tired of this castle and need to get out and about. Go prepare everything." A hunt would be the perfect opportunity to talk with Merlin about Will and his thoughts on magic.

"Alright, Sire, but may I bring Will with me? He'd want to see the woods. I know that you may not be entirely comfortable with that since he's a sorcerer and all, but I'll keep and eye on him, and I know that you wont let him out of your sight."

Arthur thought about it for a moment. He had really wanted to get some alone time with Merlin outside of the castle, but having Will there and watching him closely could give him some insight on the sorcerer.

"Fine. But he stays next to you at all times and does _not _wander off. He is not to be given a weapon or anything that he could possibly use to harm anyone. If anything happens, it's your fault for talking me into this."

"Thank you, Arthur!" Merlin happily thanks, and heads out of the room to get everything set up.

~(3)~

Will helped Merlin pack for the trip, as well as get the horses saddled up. Once they were finished, Merlin went back upstairs to inform the prince.

It turned out that a few knights had decided to join, so that they could get some 'moving target practice,' because Merlin was, apparently, not very good at being a target.

Arthur began feeling wary about having the knights tagging along, but he had to invite him since going out hunting alone with two commoners, one who he wasn't even supposed to know, would not sit very well with his father.

This way at least, he could pass Will off as a servant of another knight, and every knight would think he was someone else's. Arthur shook his head. He was out here to collect information about the farm boy/sorcerer, not to worry about what his father would think about this.

As Arthur was lost in thought, the group had traveled deeper into the woods. The citadel was no longer visible, and they were in the territory of much larger beasts. They heard a rustle in the bushes, an action that seemed to roll across the forest and up into the trees.

Judging by the sound it made, they could tell that it was a very large creature, one so big that they needed to split up and surround it to have any chance of killing it. Merlin and Will moved around to one side of the beast, while other small groups surrounded it on all other sides. Arthur went with another of his knights who had asked him. Unfortunately, he couldn't turn him down just to go with two commoners, so they made their way behind the animal to try to startle it.

Once Merlin and Will were alone, Merlin cast a spell to see what the beast actually was. It was a giant boar, one that was bigger than a horse. They heard a call from one of the other groups which meant that they were supposed to close in on the beast.

As soon as they stared, the sudden rough noise and movement startled the boar and it began to panic, running all over the place. It was very strong and ran into the other groups and knocked them out. Merlin and Will were the only two left standing.

They couldn't get close to the animal to kill it, so Merlin whispered a spell to pick up one of the fallen lances, and it flew towards the boar, killing it on impact. It fell over, shaking the ground so much that the knights and prince who had been knocked out began to stir.

Merlin ran over to Arthur who was the first to wake.

"Are you alright?" Merlin helped the prince sit up and fetched some water from the horses. Arthur accepted the water and took a nice, long sip. "I'll live."

Will helped the other Knights who woke up and helped them to their feet.

Merlin and Will ended up being the ones to have to carry the big animal carcass back to the city. Neither were very happy about it, though Will kept his mouth shut, unlike the other.

"I do all the hard work around here. I never get a day off. Why should today be any different? It's work work work all day, and just because of who I am, I have to carry this big, heavy thing. Why me?"

"Because you're a _servant _Merlin. It's what you do!" Arthur yelled back at the talkative Warlock.

"Shut up, Prat. You've never had to work a day in your life!"

"No, And you know why? Because I'm the prince."

"Who would have guessed? The prat is a prince! It's not like he _never stops talking about it!" _

Everyone else in the group just rolled their eyes as the mindless arguing between the prince and his manservant continued all the way back to Camelot.

~(3)~

_**Thanks for reading! **_

_**I'm going to give myself the tough goal of updating the next chapter by the 4th or the 5th. I'm on break all through then, and it's a fun way to spend my free time. I wrote this one in a week, maybe I'll be able to do it again! **_

_**Thanks for your continued support! I've really enjoyed writing it this far. Please review if you have the chance. I really love hearing from you! **_

_**Lia **_


	4. The Feast

_**Hi everyone! Happy 2020! This chapter was a fun one to write, since I got to do my own take on a popular analogy out there in the Merlin world. There's some information at the end of the chapter about future uploads, but for now, let's get reading! **_

A feast was set to celebrate the capture and kill of the gigantic boar. Though it wasn't the biggest feast the castle staff had put on, everyone was doing their part to make it the best it could be.

The cooks made the best presentation of the meat, and all of the sides served were paired well with the main courses. The great hall was decorated in finer tapestries and garlands, and the tables were set for many.

All welcomed the chance to relax, especially the prince. Since Will had come to Camelot, he hadn't gotten as much time with his manservant as usual. Merlin had been spending as much time as he could with the sorcerer.

The best part about the feast was that since Will was not on staff and was just a visiting guest, he would not be allowed to attend. Arthur would get Merlin all to himself tonight, and he would definitely enjoy it.

Merlin practically waltzed into Arthur's chambers with his freshly ironed shirt. His face lit up like it was practically a candle, which was something that Arthur definitely noticed.

"What's got you in such a good mood? I doubt it was all the extra work you had to do for them feast," Arthur snapped'

"No, Sire. Will and I just had the most wonderful conversation with Gaius about what herbs would be the most soothing for the lady Morgana's chambers! We got into a bit of debate but we eventually both agreed on lavender, which we just got back from picking. It was a great trip out to the woods, and we got to reminisce even more!"

"Ah. So that's why you smell like a flower threw up all over you. You'd better not have gotten the smell all over my shirt."

Arthur snatched it out of Merlin's hands and went behind the dressing screen.

"Of course not, Sire! Everyone knows you prefer the aroma of sweaty knights to a nice floral sent!"

Merlin giggled to himself as the prince muttered a muffled response, one that sounded like 'well at least we don't smell like little girls.'

Once Arthur had finished getting ready, with some help from Merlin, of course, the two of them headed down to the great hall. As they walked towards the room, they could hear lots of people talking and enjoying themselves. As soon as they walked in, though, most of the noise stopped and everyone rose from their seats.

Arthur moved towards his chair at the high table, while Merlin went to his place directly behind him, next to one of the pillars.

Everyone remained standing until the King Uther entered. He took his place at the very center of the high table, made eye contact with each of the guests, and sat down. The cue had been given for everyone to relax, and for the meal to begin.

Merlin always found serving feasts quite boring. He almost always went to them hungry, since he always had so much to do to prepare, so smelling all that amazing food was torture. This feast was no different, and maybe even worse, since he knew that he was the one who killed the boar, but still didn't get any credit, except from Will.

The one thing that made the feast even worse was that Arthur seemed unusually thirsty this time around. Maybe the food was too salty or he just hadn't had enough to drink today, but he called upon Merlin to fill his cup at least every five minutes, which meant Merlin wasn't even able to zone out until it was over.

Arthur, on the other hand, was quite enjoying himself. The cooks had outdone themselves with _amazing _food, there were no visiting dignitaries that he had to entertain, and to top it all off, he had Merlin at is beck and call. No Will to distract his servant from his duties, and no excuse to slack off.

At this moment, the crown prince of Camelot came to a startling conclusion. He was jealous of a sorcerer. A sorcerer that he had knowingly allowed into the kingdom and who had practically stolen his best friend from him. That was not something that he had ever expected to happen. But, even so, Will was not around tonight. It was just him and Merlin, at least until the feast was over.

It made his evening much more fun, just to be able to tease Merlin and have him by his side so often, even knowing that it wouldn't happen again for the rest of the week.

When the feast had finally concluded a few hours later, Merlin and Arthur practically dragged themselves up to the prince's chambers. The former was exhausted and ready to sleep. He helped Arthur out of his formal clothes and into something more comfortable.

"So," Arthur said, "Where's Will? I thought he would be up here by now."

That startled Merlin. He hadn't been expecting a question about Will to come up, especially not from a tired Arthur.

"He's already back at Gaius'."

"Oh." Arthur took the blunt answer for what it was, that Merlin didn't really want to go into it.

The two of them stood there awkwardly until Merlin spoke.

"Thank you for letting Will come along on the hunt today. I know he enjoyed it."

Arthur shrugged it off, not wanting Merlin to be thankful for his attempt to basically spy on the two of them.

"It wasn't just for being nice. I brought him along to keep an eye on him. I didn't want him to be left in the citadel in case he did something. But, I saw what happened with the boar."

Merlin froze, suddenly aware that the prince might have seen him doing magic.

"You did?"

"Not exactly, but enough to know what happened. When I woke up, I saw a faint shimmer leave the lance. He enchanted it and killed the boar didn't he?"

The secret warlock let out a small sigh of relief, for the fact that Arthur still thought it was Will who had magic.

"Yes, Sire. He did. He saw that everyone was in danger and that if he didn't do something, we may all have died. We couldn't get close enough to it, so he spelled the lance to fly at the boar and kill it."

"That's the third time he's saved me."

There was another moment of silence as Arthur contemplated what this new information meant.

"What I don't understand is how he is still good. If magic corrupts, how is it that he is kind and can save me?"

"Sire, something that I've learned from being around Will is that magic is neither good nor evil. It's only a force, like water. Water is incredibly powerful and strong, and can destroy everything around it in seconds, but it also gives life. There is not a single living thing that can survive without water. We use it every day to sustain us and keep us healthy. Magic is no different. Those who can wield it choose how to do it, whether to harm or to help. You have only seen the harmful side of magic because those who practice it for good are too scared of what will happen when they show themselves. They hide away waiting for a time when magic is accepted again, while those with hate in their hearts attack Camelot for what Uther has done to the magical community, promoting the idea that magic is pure evil."

Arthur was speechless. He didn't know what to think. If this were true, _everything _his father had said about magic had been wrong. What else had he falsely believed?

Merlin, having now said his piece, finished the nightly preparations and left Camelot's prince contemplating everything he had learned about magic. He hoped greatly that his little speech would open Arthur's eyes, that he would accept all that he learned, and take the next step towards fulfilling his destiny.

_**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I had a lot of fun writing the water analogy. I thought it would be a nice break from the sword analogy, even if they're basically saying the same thing. **_

_**My next few weeks are going to be very chaotic. I start back at school tomorrow, and this week is going to be completely focused on midterm review. Next week are midterms which means that's all I'm going to be thinking about. The week after that, I begin rehearsal for our spring musical, Into the Woods. **_

_**All that being said, I'm going to have a lot going on and not a lot of time to write, so expect the next chapter to be up by the first weekend in February. Thanks for being patient! **_

_**Lia **_


	5. Accused

_**Wow! I am so many weeks late that I don't even know what to say. February really got away from me. There's been so much going on that I just haven't had time to work on this as much as I've wanted.**_

_**Anyway, I got a new beta, so thanks a lot to Haleo6 for her help! Thanks for waiting on my lazy, busy butt, and here's the next chapter!**_

Merlin met up with Will in Gaius' chambers after finishing with Arthur for the night.

"How did the feast go?" Will asked, wishing that he had been able to attend.

"It was alright. I did have a very eye-opening conversation afterwards. Apparently Arthur saw the residual magic coming off the lance when he woke up, and 'knew' it was you that enchanted it. He was very confused as to why you would continue to save him, so I explained to him how magic was neither good nor bad, just a tool. I think he's really beginning to accept magic!"

Merlin seemed extremely excited about that, and for good reason, but Will wasn't so sure.

"Merlin," Will questioned, "Don't you think that you should tell Arthur that it's you who has magic and not me?"

"No. Absolutely not. He can't know yet. He needs to be able to completely trust you, and then I'll break it to him that we lied. Not yet."

Will sighed resolutely, knowing that he shouldn't push too far since it wasn't his secret to keep, but he had a feeling that it would backfire on them if Arthur didn't know. For now, though, there was nothing he could do, so he and Merlin settled down for sleep.

* * *

Merlin and Will stood out on the training field, watching the knights fight each other as the sun slowly came up.

Arthur saw them talking quietly to one another, comfortable in each other's presence. He could see how much trust Merlin had in Will, even though he had magic. He vowed to try to get to become more familiar with Will, so that he might learn more about the difference in good and bad magic. It was a daunting task, actually making friends with a sorcerer, but he would do it. For Merlin.

Just then, a servant that he vaguely recognized came running onto the field. He stopped right in front of Arthur, panting and out of breath.

"A message… from the king. Throne room… urgent…"

Arthur got enough from those few bits and pieces. He rushed off the field, Merlin right behind him. Thankfully, he knew something was going on and got the armor off of the prince in record time. As soon as the biggest and heaviest pieces were off, the two of them rushed into the castle and up to the throne room.

Will watched them go, curious of what was going on. He wanted to be in the know, but, just like the feast, he was not a member of the royal household, so he could not go.

Arthur and Merlin hurried to the throne room. Once they arrived, they took their places; Arthur at his father's right hand, and Merlin behind Arthur next to a pillar.

Once everyone that had been called was settled, Uther called for the accused to be brought in.

It was a woman. She looked to be in her middle age. She was forced onto her knees, and cried out when she forcefully hit the ground. Arthur knew immediately that something was going on, if his father's look of utter disdain and the treatment of the prisoner was anything to go by.

The king stepped up to the woman and loomed over her threateningly. "You have been accused of practicing enchantments. What do you have to say for yourself?"

The woman began trembling. When she looked up, Arthur could see her resignation and acceptance of her death in her eyes, yet when she spoke, she said her words with confidence that can only be found in a mother.

"Sire, my son was ill. Dreadfully ill. He had an incurable sickness that would have brought upon his death had I not resorted to magic. I would never betray the kingdom willingly, but there was nothing else that would save him."

Her explanation did nothing to quell the king's anger. If anything, it seemed to make him even more upset that anyone could justify the use of magic.

"This woman has admitted to practicing magic and conspiring against Camelot. She is evil and shall be executed at dawn. Take her away."

Arthur knew that his father hated magic, but surely this woman was not evil just because she did magic. She used it to save her son! He had to speak up.

"Father," Arthur interrupted before the king could leave the room, "surely she does not deserve to die for saving her son."

Uther didn't turn to face his son. "Leave us." He said.

As everyone cleared, Arthur caught Merlin's eye, and managed to convey that he was to wait outside until the royal chat had concluded.

Once they were alone, Uther turned to face his son.

"Arthur, you know that magic is evil. Anyone who wields it is dangerous and must be stopped immediately. What has caused you to think otherwise?"

Arthur kept a straight face and let none of his true feelings through.

"I have merely been thinking, father, that she did something good. She saved her son from death. She should not be punished for helping her family."

Uther scoffed and laid a hand on his son's shoulder.

"We cannot begin to know what compels a sorcerer to do something. Anything they do they do only in their own interests. We must not let their stories of their 'innocence' compell us to believe them. For all we know, she saved her son only so that he could attack us later. Now, why don't you go back to your chambers for a bath. I know you came straight from training, so why don't you take a break?"

Arthur accepted that that was all he would get out of his father for now.

"Yes, father."

As he turned to walk away, he thought of one more thing.

"Father?"

Uther stopped as well.

"Yes, Arthur?"

"What is to become of the boy? Is he to be killed as well?"

Uther just shook his head.

"I will discuss that with you another time. For now, I would suggest you head back to your chambers."

Arthur nodded and left the room.

When he came out, he saw Merlin there waiting for him. He quickly sent the servant to retrieve his friend and return to the prince's chambers as soon as Will was with him.

Once Merlin was gone, Arthur took the time to plan what was to happen next. It would be a long night if his ideas came to pass.

* * *

Arthur, Merlin, and Will were gathered in Arthur's chambers. Arthur stood by the wall, contemplating what he was going to say. He decided that he just had to go for it.

Arthur moved away from the wall and turned to face Will.

"You saved my life again, yesterday. Merlin and I have talked, and I believe that your intentions are good and that you don't have any reason to harm Camelot, and therefore, no reason for me to be suspicious of you. I have learned how magic can be used for good, and I ask you to help me do just that."

Merlin and Will sold there completely still, not quite knowing what to think. Will took a deep breath, knowing that he was about to take the lie of him having magic even further, and that it was probably not likely to end well.

"How can I help you, Sire?" Will asked.

"I want to break the sorceress out of the dungeons," Arthur said bluntly.

There was a beat of silence as both commoners realized what a big deal this was, and all it meant for the future. They exchanged a glance of disbelief and excitement between the two of them, but Arthur saw it and mistook it as skepticism.

"Will that be an issue? I would love your help, and it would go a lot smoother with you involved, but you do not have to. I know how much of a risk it would be for you, and the potential of you getting revealed if we get caught is very high."

Will thought about it for a moment, going over all the ways that this could end badly, but in the end, he made a decision.

Will looked up at the prince and said, resolutely, "I'm in."

Arthur was very pleased by this answer, as it would make his plan work much better than it would have without him.

"Thank you, Will." Arthur said. "She is to be executed at dawn, so we need to act tonight. Here's how it's going to work:

"I will take care of the guards by the dungeons. Will, you're going to go to the cell and unlock it with my key. If anything happens, I need you to use your magic to help us get out. The two of us will lead her out of the castle, hopefully not running into any other guards.

"Merlin, I'm going to need you to get the horses and wait by the entrance where we got that Druid boy out. That's where we will meet you."

Merlin was not happy about this arrangement. "I'm the getaway rider?!" If he wasn't there, he could not help Will fake the magic.

"I'm sorry, Merlin." Arthur said. "Unless you have magic, there's nothing I really need your help on. Now, are there any other objections to the plan? Or questions that need answering?"

"Sire," Will asked, "What about her son? Can't we get him out of Camelot as well?"

Arthur sighed and shook his head, looking defeated.

"My father would not tell me what was to become of him. I don't even know where he's being kept. I can only hope that since he did not himself perform magic that my father will be slightly lenient towards him, but the king is not known for such things. If possible, I will try to see where he is today, and make a plan to get him out as well. I will let Merlin know if I figure anything out. Any other questions?"

Neither Merlin nor Will spoke up.

"Good." Arthur said. "Will, I want you to use your magic only if you have to. Prove to me not only that it can be used for good, but also that you can control its use. Both of you must go about your day as normal. Meet me back here at a quarter to midnight, since the guards' major change is at exactly midnight. That will be the best time to act."

* * *

Merlin and Will headed back to Gaius's chambers to discuss what was supposed to take place that night.

"Merlin," Will said, "you have to tell Arthur about your magic! He created the plan based on the fact that he thought I was the one with magic! If you're not there to actually do the spells, this is all going to fail."

"You know I can't do that. When he realizes that we've both been lying to him even more —"

"He'll be more angry, yes, but if anyone can help him understand why we did it, and that we have to continue the rescue mission, it's you. Tell him what happened back in Ealdor and he'll understand! He trusts you more than anyone else. He only gave me a chance because of your faith and trust in me. He needs to know, and he needs to know soon if this is going to work."

Merlin lowered his eyes, afraid of what would happen if they met his friends'.

"I can't, Will. I just can't. If I break his trust right now, just as he's putting the tiniest bit of faith in the good of magic, then it could all fall apart."

Will still didn't like it, but he understood why Merlin had decided not to tell Arthur.

"Ok, Merlin. I trust your judgment. But how are we going to pull this off if Arthur thinks I have magic?"

Merlin gave a little joyful smirk and began looking around the room.

"There's a stone that I came across a few months ago, not too long after we got back from Ealdor. I won't go into the details of how I came across it, but I was very interested in it, so I saved it. It's called the lehar stone, and it allows a non-magical person to wield magic to go undetected by anyone for a certain amount of time. All I need to do is put a bit of my magic into it."

"How do I make it work?"

"When you're ready to use it, there's a smile spell you have to say: 'Dwi'n mynd heb ei weld.'"

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Will said the spell a few times until Merlin said that he got the pronunciation right.

Hours passed as they went about their day. At about half past 11pm, they regrouped in Gaius's chambers to power up the stone. Merlin directed a tiny amount of his power into the stone before handing it to Will. "You ready?" Merlin asked.

"Yes, I am."

* * *

_**I hope you liked that chapter! Things are starting to get good! The spell to activate the stone is welsh, and roughly translates to 'I go without seeing it.'**_

_**I have been writing an essay for my English class about the epic journey in a movie, book or tv show of my choice. Of course, I chose Merlin, so I'm writing a detailed paper on how 'The Dragon's Call' fits the Epic Hero's Journey. I think I'm going to post it one it's finished, so be on the lookout!**_

_**I should have the next chapter posted fairly quickly. I still don't have much free time, but now that we're finally into the main part of the fic, I'm a lot more into it. I'd say I should be done by the first week of March.**_

_**Until next time, fellow Merlin fans!**_

_** \- Lia! :)**_


	6. Breaking In

_**HI! I know I'm super late, but at least I found the motivation to write eventually! Now we're getting to the REALLY good part of the story! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!**_

* * *

The moon was high in the sky, though not quite at its peak. The light shone on Camelot, bathing everything in a silvery glow. Two figures snuck through the castle, careful not to be seen.

Coming to the courtyard, the two figures split up, one heading back into the castle, the other down to the royal stables.

Merlin gathered each of the horse's things and led them to the old servant passageway to wait for Arthur and Will, worried that they would mess something up without him there to help with his magic. He hoped that the stone he gave Will would be enough.

Meanwhile, Will walked quickly to Arthur's chambers and knocked politely on the door. When he heard the prince tell him to enter, he came into the room and shut the door so that no one in the hall would hear their conversation.

"Are you ready, Sire?" Will asked.

Arthur grabbed his sword and belt to then tie it around his waist. "I'm ready. Let's go."

The two of them began the long trek to the dungeons. There was an ominous chill to the air as they sneaked through the castle, probably due to the fact that it was the middle of the night and very few fires or torches were lit.

Each time they came across a guard, Will would whisper the incantation, "_dwi'n mynd heb ei weld," _and both him and Arthur were able to slip by them with ease. Thankfully, they had not been in a situation where another form of magic had been needed.

As they got closer to the dungeons they ran across the guards far more often, and Will had to use the stone much more frequently. Once they descended the steps, he said the spell again, but the guards seemed to see them out of the corners of their eyes. There were four of them down there, and the stone didn't have enough magic left to give to each of them to make him and Arthur able to sneak past. It took the guards a minute to fully see them, but they did. It seemed that the stone had stopped working.

"Sire, what are you doing down here in the middle of the night, and with a servant, no less?" One of them said.

Arthur stood up straight and looked like the royal he was. "I am your prince. I do not answer to you." Will thought that they would let him through, him being the prince and all, but that did not seem to be the case.

"Sorry, Sire." The same guard said. "We are under strict orders from the king not to let _anyone _through; not even the prince. We're going to have to ask you to go back to your chambers, or we'll have to report you to the king."

Will felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of his neck, a physical representation of just how nervous he'd gotten while those few words were being said. He then realized just how dangerous this really was. If they were taken to the king, he would be searched, they would find the stone, and he would be executed. He hoped Arthur could talk his way out of this one.

As he was thinking, Arthur had pulled out his sword. "I'm sorry. We must get through without my father knowing." He lunged at the guards and knocked each one out as they came towards him.

Once they had all been taken care of, Will and Arthur quickly moved to an alcove a little further ahead of them.

"Why didn't your magic work on the guards? I was counting on not having to hurt any of them, especially now that they will be seen and the warning bell will sound."

"I'm sorry, Sire." Will started to say, but Arthur cut him off before he could say anything more.

"There will be time for apologies once we rescue the sorceress. For now, we must stay focused."

Arthur handed Will the keys to her cell and pointed him in the direction of where she was. Arthur stood watch, ready for any more guards to come their way. Will quickly found her cell and unlocked it. He gently led her out, and over to the edge of the hall where Arthur stood. When she saw the prince she froze, clearly worried that he was there to deliver a secret kill before her public execution.

When Arthur saw the look of terror on her face, he spoke softly and reassuringly to her. "I am not going to hurt you. Will and I are here to help you escape from the city. If you want to live and see your son again, you'll come with us. I promise that we will not hurt you."

She gave a nod, and before either Arthur or will could say anything else, the warning bells began to ring. Someone had found the guards.

* * *

Merlin was waiting patiently by the old servant's entrance with the horses, waiting for his two best friends to come running to safety with the sorceress. He had confidence in his friends to do this safely without him.

* * *

Merlin was waiting patiently by the old servant's entrance. He'd been there for a few minutes, wondering when his friends would come. He hoped that the Lehar stone would be enough for them to make it safely.

* * *

Merlin was waiting by the old servant's entrance. It had been about ten minutes already. He was beginning to worry that there had been complications and they would not be out quick enough.

* * *

Merlin was tapping his knees while he waited by the old servant's entrance. It had been over fifteen minutes since he'd gotten there. Arthur and Will should have been out by then. Something had happened. He knew it.

As he was beginning to worry even more, the warning bells began to ring.

* * *

Merlin was pacing by the old servant's entrance. It had been five minutes since the warning bells had begun ringing. It had been too long. He knew something was very wrong, but refrained from going in to help them because he knew that they would need to get out of Camelot as soon as they could, and Merlin needed to be right here when they came out.

* * *

Merlin was furiously pacing by the old servant's entrance. They had been caught. He knew it. It had been ten minutes since the warning bells had begun to ring. He had to go in and get them out. The guards were terrible. He knew that he'd be able to break into the dungeons easily and get the three of them out.

Just as Merlin was about to go rushing into the castle to rescue them, three figures came running out of the old servant's entrance.

Merlin could not contain the great relief he felt at seeing the three of them, proof of a successful rescue, unharmed and not locked up.

"What happened?!" Merlin exclaimed. He aimed his question at Arthur, but Will was the one to speak up as the prince helped the sorceress to the extra horse.

"There's no time to explain. We need to go. _Now." _

Merlin knew that every second counted when trying to escape the knights, so he let the lack of explanation rest and quickly made his way to the horses and mounted his. As soon as the four of them were on their horses, they took off out of the city and on to Ealdor.

* * *

Once they were far enough away from the city that they felt confident that they were not being followed, the small group slowed down. As they traveled, Merlin noticed the unusual silence. Arthur was not mocking him as usual. In fact, he had not said a word since he came out to the horses.

"Sire, are you alright? You've been awfully quiet," Merlin asked.

Arthur didn't even look at Merlin as he gave his cryptic response: "I'm fine Merlin. Let's just get to Ealdor."

"Are you sure?" Merlin was not going to let it go. His best friend did not look fine.

"I am."

"Arthur -"

"LEAVE IT, Merlin." Arthur snapped. "I am your prince and I do not have to discuss anything with you. We are about to cross into another king's land. That requires stealth and silence in order to avoid detection, so I _suggest_ that you stop asking questions as soon as possible."

When Arthur got defensive like that, Merlin knew to leave him alone, but he wondered what had happened back in the castle to put him in such a foul mood. He let out a big sigh, and continued the journey in silence, just like Arthur had said to do.

* * *

Arthur hated pulling rank like that on Merlin, but he knew that it was the only way to get Merlin to stop talking to him and asking questions. After what he had just found out, Arthur wasn't sure he'd ever be able to speak to Merlin again…

* * *

_**So that was the chapter! I told you it got good! Don't worry, you'll find out what happened in the dungeons soon enough. I just hope that that wasn't too much of a cliffhanger! **_

_**I've realized that I should stop putting due dates on my chapters because I never follow them and I think I only end up disappointing you when I don't update when I say I will. So for the next chapter, I'm going to have it done as soon as I can, which should be fairly soon due to my coronavirus quarantine ;D. **_

_**I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and I'll see you next time! **_

_** \- Lia :) **_


	7. Breaking Out

_**Arighty! I've been gone for like 4 1/2 months. I apologize. BUT! I have nearly finished writing the entire fic! All I have left to do is a very short epilogue and then it will be totally written! I cannot wait to share it with you! Updates will be every Monday from now until it's finished. I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

*_Flashback to the dungeons with Arthur, Will, and the sorceress*_

The warning bells were ringing loudly throughout the city, alerting the residents of both the castle and town that a criminal had escaped and would need to be found and recaptured.

The conspicuous perpetrators went on red alert as soon as the bells began to sound. Within moments, they could hear the feet of the castle guards running down to the dungeons to catch the escaped prisoner, getting closer and closer, louder and louder with each passing second.

Arthur quickly led Will and the sorceress through the winding tunnels underneath the castle in the direction of their planned exit. Unfortunately, as they neared a curve, they were met by the sounds of guards discussing what to do if the prince and the sorceress came that way.

"Will," Arthur whispered under his breath, "use your magic like you did before to help us sneak by." Arthur chanced a look around the corner and saw that there were three men guarding the hall. He heard footsteps coming behind them as well, and knew that they needed to act quickly.

"Will, do it _now!_"

The pretend sorcerer tried and tried, whispering "_dwi'n mynd heb ei weld" _over and over again, but the stone was no longer functioning for him.

"Arthur, I can't," Will said frantically. "You'll have to knock them out so that we can get by."

The prince didn't understand what he was hearing; a sorcerer not able to do magic. He looked at the sorceress, hoping that she may be able to help them out with it, but she was too fearful to be of any help, not saying a word and allowing herself to be dragged along.

There was nothing else to do but keep moving forward, so Arthur charged the guards. He was more than a match for them, having been trained in battle his whole life, but he knew that a trail of unconscious guards was bound to lead the search teams right to them.

There was a flurry of metal on metal, but Arthur came through.

"We need to move," Arthur quickly said and motioned for them to follow.

After a minute or two of running, Arthur pulled the other two into a deep, but well-hidden, alcove that most of the castle didn't know about.

"Will, what is going on with you? Your magic has failed twice. I need you to get it together if we're going to successfully make it out of here."

Will was at a loss of what to say. He had thought that the stone would work easily, but it had just stopped working. So, he said the only thing that he could. "I can't, Arthur."

"Why not? Your magic was strong enough to create the tornado in Ealdor. Why can't you do it now?"

"That wasn't me," Will said quickly. Only after the words came out of his mouth did he realize what he'd just said. He cursed himself for slipping up, knowing that Arthur would only become more suspicious.

"Really? Who was it then?" Arthur asked a bit more forcefully.

Will needed to think of a way to get Arthur to stop asking questions and to just get the woman to safety, without having to reveal Merlin's secret. Thankfully, at that moment, there was an opening in the flurry of guards coming past them, so they had a chance to move forward a bit into another hidden alcove nearby.

Will had to think fast. What could he say? He only came up with one thing. It wasn't much, but he hoped that Arthur would respect it.

"It's not my secret to tell," Will said.

"_Not your secret to tell?!" _Arthur exclaimed, "We just broke a sorceress out of the dungeons and we were depending on your magic to get us out of here. Now you tell me what? That you don't have any?"

This seemed to finally register in the sorceress's mind, and she spoke for the first time since they'd rescued her.

"Wait, you thought this young man had magic?"

"Yes," Arthur responded exasperatedly, "because he _lied_ to me. You knew he didn't have magic?"

The woman looked baffled that Arthur had actually thought Will had magic. "Of course. Many with magic can sense the magical energy and even potential in others, and you, young man," she turned and looked at Will, "have the magical energy of a rat, except for that stone in your hand."

Will noticed how Arthur's jaw clenched at that as he spit out a tight calm-but-scary "What. Stone?"

The not-sorcerer decided to ignore Arthur for a moment and turned towards the woman. "You know about the stone?" He asked.

The woman just rolled her eyes. "Have you not been listening? I can sense magical energies, and that stone is giving off a lot, though it has significantly less power than it did before."

Arthur turned to Will, a forcefully questioning look in his eyes; like he was prompting Will to explain as much as he could and with the most detail possible.

Will cracked under such an intense stare.

"It's called a Lehar stone I think."

The sorceress gasped, clearly having just realized what she was dealing with.

Will continued very timidly, "It allows people to basically disappear because it makes everyone around ignore them. It was supposed to help us get past the guards, but it just stopped working."

The woman turned around with an understanding look on her face.

"It stopped working because the Lehar stone is an extremely powerful magical artifact, but one that is quite difficult to work with. It requires a constant flow of energy via a direct connection to that source; a sorcerer. Its pull is so strong while contact remains that only high priests have the ability to maintain the flow of energy safely."

"You're working with a high priest?!" Arthur exclaimed, as though he hadn't taken in anything besides that fact from the large amount of knowledge they'd just gained.

Will mentally rolled his eyes at the prince and turned back to the woman, not understanding something about what she'd just said.

"But, if it needs constant contact with the energy source, which I know for certain I am not, how was it able to work while I carried it around the castle?" he asked.

"It's very interesting indeed, that it was able to work at all without any direct magical contact, but even more so that it was able to last as long as it did. The only way I can think of for that to be possible is for whoever cast the enchantment to have made a magical link between them and the stone powerful enough that the stone was able to draw from their magic even when not directly in contact. It must have broken when you got too far away, but that would take such _power…"_

She trailed off, lost in thought for a moment.

Arthur, having been keeping a somewhat-decent lookout, determined that this was another opportune moment for them to move. He led them to another alcove, though this one was much shallower so that had to be significantly more quiet to avoid detection.

Once they had found their hiding spot, Will broke the silence, having just realized that there was a certain fact that they had been missing.

"What is your name?" he asked. "We came all this way to help you but didn't even ask before."

"Thank you for asking. My name is Rilare," she said with a nod of respect towards him.

Arthur, on the other hand, had been pacing as much as he could in that tiny little alcove. He was trying to wrap his head around everything that he had just found out about whoever Will had been working with.

Arthur turned to the not-sorcerer, finally ready to hear what he had to say for himself.

"You lied to me, Will. Who is this impossibly powerful sorcerer that you've been working with to deceive me? What was your goal? More power? Camelot's throne? What purpose did you have in making me believe you were a sorcerer and actually begin to trust you and trust _magic?!" _Arthur practically spat at the end, his words coming out much more forcefully than he'd originally intended.

Will realized just how much trouble he was in at that moment. He needed to explain to Arthur why they did what they did… without bringing Merlin into it. It was time for some quick thinking on his part.

"We never meant to deceive you, Sire. It just sort of happened that way. You believed that I was a sorcerer, and we hoped that we would be able to convince you of the good of magic if you came to trust me and know me and understand that magic does not corrupt."

Arthur froze in his pacing, finally coming to a stop and facing a very nervous Will. "And you expect me to believe that since you were not corrupted by magic it is good, even though _there is no magic to corrupt you? _That seems to have been a flaw in your plan. Who is this powerful sorcerer that has aided you in keeping up the guise that you possess magic?"

Will said nothing, only shook his head. He knew that if he said anything else, gave away any more information, it could lead Arthur to the realization that it was Merlin.

At Will's silence, Arthur moved closer into Will's personal space, hoping to intimidate him enough into speaking again. "Tell. Me. Now." He spoke calmly and quietly, but with an unmistakable intensity to his words.

"No," Will said. "I will not. He will tell you when he's ready, whenever that may be."

Arthur recognized the new information, and so did Will. He knew that he should have just stayed quiet and not given the prince anything else to go on. Will would not make that mistake again.

Turning Will's last sentence over in his mind, Arthur realized that something big had been revealed by his words.

"Are you telling me that I know this sorcerer? Is he in Camelot?"

Will knew what kind of position he was in. He _could not answer, _no matter what Arthur said, asked, or even threatened. He would stay silent.

They had to move again. They were getting closer to the servant's entrance where Merlin was waiting, but Arthur could not let this go. He pushed Will against the wall of the alcove, not hard enough to cause pain, but enough to show significant dominance.

Arthur was reaching his limit. It was his job to find out who this sorcerer was, and Will wasn't cooperating. He'd need to do something drastic to really get Will to talk. He would scare Will into giving him more information, but he would not actually hurt the man.

Arthur drew his sword and held it to Will's chest, but did not put any pressure on the blade as not to cut him. His face said otherwise though, and Will was definitely frightened.

Arthur said, with his most intimidating interrogation face, "Tell me now, or I will take you to the king under the charge of treason."

Will knew deep down that Arthur would not hurt him intentionally, but his brain was not thinking rationally at that point. He was running through all the stories he'd heard about Camelot as a child; the tales about how the knights ruthlessly killed anyone even associated with a magical person, even if they hadn't even known that there was magic involved. He had always been told to stay away from Camelot and their knights, _especially _after having been friends with Merlin all his life.

Still, he had come to Camelot pretending to be a sorcerer, all because Merlin had not wanted to tell Arthur his secret, and so Will had taken the blame for the windstorm back home. He didn't regret it and understood why Merlin had not wanted to share his secret, but he wished that he had not put himself in that much danger that easily.

Here he was, staring at the blade belonging to Prince Arthur of Camelot, threatened with magical treason; his worst fear since he was born. Still, he was protecting Merlin just like he always had. The thought circled around his brain: Protect Merlin. Protect Merlin. He could under no circumstances tell Arthur about Merlin, especially not when he was this angry, but Arthur wanted him to talk, so why not talk about something good? He'd made his decision, and hopefully, he would live to see the end result of it.

"I will tell you who the sorcerer is, as long as you swear by what you hold most dear that you will not harm him," Will said eventually.

Arthur was stunned, having expected to have to go to even more lengths to get Will to tell him about the sorcerer. Even better, he was about to find out the sorcerer's identity as well. Arthur would be an idiot not to take the deal. He lowered his sword to let Will speak comfortably.

"Alright. I swear on my mother's life that if you can prove that he means Camelot no harm, I will not harm _him. _So, Who is the sorcerer that you have been working with?"

Will took a deep breath and began to speak.

"He is a good man who believes in you. He would never even think of doing anything to hurt you or Camelot. He desperately wants to tell you of his magic, but he is terrified of what will happen if you react badly. I have understood and respected that, and I took the blame for his magic so that he could stay by your side without you knowing of his power.

"You allowed me to come to Camelot, even though you 'knew' that I was a sorcerer. You trusted me not to do any harm to Camelot or any of its people because I had saved your life. This is no different. The sorcerer that I have worked with has saved your life so many times that he cannot even remember each one. I trust him with my life, and he trusts me to keep his secret.

"So no, I will not tell you his name. I will not betray him like that. You do not deserve someone so loyal and kind, and I will not give you the ability to hurt him. I have said my piece."

Arthur certainly had a lot to think on. He had not learned the identity of the sorcerer as he'd thought he would, but he had certainly gotten a lot of information on him. Maybe even enough to figure out his identity.

Will was very defensive of him. He stated clearly that he trusted him and would not betray him for anything. This seemed to show quite a close bond between the two of them; like they'd known each other for a long time. This brought up an interesting thought.

"Does Merlin know you're not a sorcerer? Surely you must not have been able to fake it for your entire… life..." He trailed off.

Something clicked in Arthur's mind. Merlin and Will were close. _Very _close. There was no way that Merlin had not been aware of Will's lack of magical ability. They had known each other their whole lives. Still, Merlin covered for him and convinced Arthur to let him come to Camelot, despite being a sorcerer. He was the one who really sold it to Arthur that Will had magic. It was even his idea to go to Gaius about using magic to rescue - what was her name? Rilare. Right.

Even thinking back to the moment when Will had claimed to create the wind storm, right after he'd saved Arthur from Kanan's arrow, there was something odd. Up until that point, Arthur had _known _that it had been either Will or Merlin who summoned the wind. They had been standing next to each other, right in the center where it had originated. Arthur had been hoping as strongly as he could that it had not been Merlin. But… what if it had?

Will said it himself that he covered for the sorcerer by claiming to have used the magic instead. He had been there, at that moment, when Will made the decision to 'come clean' about the wind. What exactly had been said?

"_It was me. I'm the one who used magic," _Will had said.

Merlin had clearly had a look of desperation and hurt. It had sounded almost like he was begging Will to take it back. "_Will, don't." _

"_It's alright, Merlin. I risked my life for the prince, now I'm doing it again. Making sure sire, you know that __it was me._ _I did it. I created the wind. I saw how desperate things were becoming, and I had to do something." _

The way he had spoken, it had seemed like he was confessing clearly to the prince, but thinking back, Arthur realized that he had been convincing Merlin that he wouldn't change his mind. How could he have missed it before?

All that was left was to confirm with Will. He had been silent for a while now as he was thinking. Looking at Will he had a sheen of sweat on his forehead; a sign of nervousness. Arthur would have to just come out and say it.

"Will," the prince said softly, "is Merlin the sorcerer?"

Will looked up quickly enough to give himself whiplash, his shocked expression enough of an answer for Arthur. It had been Merlin all along. His kind, innocent manservant who was waiting to help them escape... had _magic_. What was he going to do now?


	8. It's Always Bandits

_**Hello! Back for week two of the final upload! Two more chapters to go after this one! You may want to go back and re-read chapter six since I will be picking up where they left off, and you might want to remind yourself of what was going on. ;D**_

* * *

The four rode through the forest, Arthur at the head of the group alone with his thoughts. There was so much for him to think over. He was struggling to wrap his mind around the fact that Merlin, the clumsy fool that Arthur always believed him to be, was a powerful sorcerer.

Every once in a while, he would turn around in his saddle and get a quick look at Merlin. He didn't look at all like he could be anything but a scrawny servant that was too brave for his own good. As much as he didn't want to admit it, and never would out loud, Arthur knew that Merlin was incredibly wise, though Merlin only let it show every so often. Most of the time he acted like the fool and idiot that Arthur would always tease him of being.

Was that all it was? Was everything he knew about Merlin an act? How much of the Merlin he knew was actually Merlin at all? Was he really as kind as he had shown himself to be?

Arthur forced the questions out of his head. He would have time to figure out the answers, once he properly talked -

Arthur's musings were cut off when he heard movement coming from behind them. He signaled for them to stop and dismount.

"What is it?" Merlin asked. Arthur noticed that he was more cautious than usual in his expression; like he knew something was up and didn't want to let Arthur know that he thought so.

Arthur pushed all thoughts out of his head except for the possible threat. "I don't know, but I definitely heard something. Everyone, off the path. We do not want to be seen by any passerby."

They all dismounted and headed off into the bushes, finding a nearby cave to shelter in just before the sound of hooves surrounded them. Arthur heard a distant sound of a command being called. He moved to the cave opening to take a look outside and saw a group of red-cloaked men riding past them.

He headed back into the cave to report to the rest of the group. "They were knights of Camelot, tasked, I believe, with finding us. From what I could tell, they are still unaware of our identities. We need to keep moving."

* * *

So on they went, riding along through the woods on their way to Merlin's hometown. After the encounter with Camelot's patrol, they decided to take an even lesser-known path that was barely more than an animal road; nevertheless, they kept moving forward until they came across another more common obstacle.

Their first hint was when Merlin spoke up about his 'funny feeling', saying that he thought there was someone approaching. Arthur, being the normal oblivious person that he is, wrote it off as Merlin being silly, not even thinking that Merlin's magic could be the thing alerting him to coming danger.

They kept moving, despite how Merlin, Will, and Rilare got increasingly more tense and prepared for something to happen.

When the bandits cornered them, all four were shocked at the sheer amount of men coming at them. Arthur and Will drew their swords, while Rilare prepared to begin to fire off the few defensive spells she knew. Merlin went behind a tree as usual, since he still believed that his magic was unknown to Arthur.

It was an intense battle; they were overrun by bandits and had all taken injuries. Arthur was fighting four different men at a time, Will was doing as much as he could to help, Rilare was firing spell after spell but it was clear she was tiring. All the while, Merlin was dropping as many branches, burning as many hands, and blasting back as many people as he could while still remaining fairly discrete.

Arthur weighed his options and decided that they needed help from Merlin if they were to get out of there safely.

"Merlin," he shouted over the chaos, "use your magic! Do something, I don't care what!"

The warlock was so incredibly shocked at hearing those words out of his friend's mouth that time slowed to a standstill. Everything seemed frozen, except Merlin and Arthur.

"Well that's certainly one way to do it!" Arthur chuckled.

Merlin stood there with a blank expression on his face, like he hadn't even heard Arthur, let alone frozen time. Arthur decided to give the sorcerer a moment to let it all sink in, especially since they seemed to have the time.

After about two minutes of silence Merlin finally spoke up.

"You know?"

There was such a layer of fear in his words. Arthur realized just how afraid he must have been of Arthur finding out and not accepting him. Luckily, that was not the case.

"Yes, I do Merlin. Now, I know we have a lot to talk about, but why don't we do that after we've finished fighting the bandits, yeah?"

"Yeah," Merlin replied with a bit more confidence.

"So, how about you unfreeze time?"

Merlin actually let out a laugh; one of pure joy, hilarity, and clear relief.

"I never thought I would hear you say something like that! And for your information, I only slowed time. I didn't freeze it. They are still moving, just infantesmally so."

Arthur paid close attention to Merlin's eyes and was astounded when he saw them turn gold; something he'd never imagined would look that amazing, and certainly not a sight he'd ever thought he'd see from his servant.

He didn't have much time to think, though, because the bandits were right back on them. Merlin didn't even have to utter a spell as he threw all the bandits backwards, knocking them out.

The group of four quickly mounted their horses and rode away before any of them woke up.

* * *

As they headed on, Arthur and Merlin rode side by side, both lost in thought until Merlin finally spoke up.

"How did you find out?"

Arthur sighed, knowing this was coming.

"When we were escaping from the dungeons. Will was only able to use magic for one thing. It got me thinking and I figured it out."

Beat of silence.

"I wish you'd told me before, Merlin. I've told you everything. As much as I understand why you didn't, it hurts knowing that my best friend didn't trust me enough to tell me about something that's such a big part of your life."

"I'm sorry, Arthur. You were taking the fact that Will was a sorcerer so well. I'd hoped that through him we could show you the good in magic."

"It worked; it did. I could see that magic couldn't be all bad. But, Merlin, did you ever think that it would have been so much easier for me to see if I'd known that you were the one with magic? I _know _that you're not evil; that you would never do anything to hurt me. My main trust in Will came from yours."

Merlin took a moment to think about that.

"I'd never thought of it that way. After Will took the blame for my magic back in Ealdor, I was too scared to tell you that he lied for me. I was actually going to tell you that day, when we were in my house before Kanan came back."

A look of recognition and understanding flashed across the prince's face as he thought back to that conversation.

_Arthur had just helped Merlin into his armor. They'd clasped hands. _

_Arthur had said with utmost sincerity, "It's been an honor." _

_As he was about to walk out the door, Merlin spoke up. _

"_Whatever happens out there today, please don't think any differently of me." _

_Arthur nodded. _

"_I won't. It's alright to be scared, Merlin." _

How could he have been so naive? That was Merlin about to tell him about the magic!

"_That's not what I meant." _

_Arthur had looked up. _

"_What is it? If you've got something to say, now's the time to say it." _

_They stared at each other for a moment as Merlin clearly gathered his courage to say something important, but before Merlin had the chance to speak, Morgana came in to tell them that Kanan had arrived. _

Merlin had been about to tell him! He would not have been in the dark for as long. Arthur could only guess what his reaction would have been back then, but that was not what had happened. He could only move forward and make sure that Merlin knew that he was still safe.

"I was going to tell you, and then we had to fight and Will decided to honor my wish of not having you find out and he took the blame. Then, you were compassionate, kind, and you let him live even though your father would have beheaded him right there.

"I found myself wishing sometimes that I _had _told you that day, and had your kindness in my favor. I've always wanted to tell you Arthur, but after that moment I had a reason to tell myself why I didn't. You believed Will had magic, so why not run with it? If I was able to bring him to Camelot, that was the first step in showing you that not everyone with magic is out to kill you.

"Then, he was here and we took the lie even further. He wanted me to tell you, to end the deception, but it was going so well. You were finally seeing the good in magic. I was terrified that if I decided to tell you, then all your faith in the use of magic for good would disappear, and I would lose you forever. I didn't want that to happen.

"I am so, so sorry for lying to you, Arthur. How will you ever forgive me?"

Merlin lowered his head so that Arthur could not see the tears running down his face.

Arthur stopped their horses and moved closer to Merlin.

"Merlin, look at me. After hearing all that you said, I forgive you, wholly and completely. Yes, I wish you'd told me earlier, but I know now, and can only imagine all the good you've done for me and for Camelot. You are safe."

Will came up to them as well, silently showing his support.

"I don't think any differently of you. You, Merlin, are still my best friend."

Coming from Arthur, that meant more to Merlin than anything in the world: finally being accepted for everything about him, magic and all. The now-known sorcerer looked up, Arthur's eyes met with his tear-tracked own, and he said the only words that he could think of at that moment; his two best friends by his side.

"Thank you."

* * *

_**Thanks for sticking with me and reading another chapter! I hope you have a great week and I'll see you again next Monday with chapter 9!**_

_**Lia :)**_


	9. Reaching the Destination

Rilare was at the back of the pack. Arthur and Merlin were at the front, while Will had ended up in the middle as she slowed her pace in order to have a moment to think.

This was not at all what she had expected to happen as she had been sitting in the dungeons of the castle, waiting to die just two days ago. Had she known that the prince himself would come to rescue her, and endorsing the use of magic no less, she would not have believed it.

Now here he was-after discovering a lie about magic told to him by his manservant's best friend and his manservant-completely alright with magic and all that it entailed. If she was honest, there was a moment there where she had been worried that the prince's delicate trust in magic had been completely erased and that she would be in danger again.

The two were an interesting pair, not what she would have expected from Emrys and the Once and Future King (yes, she figured out who they are, she's not stupid enough to not put it together). They're so naive and young, so inexperienced, not knowing what will come their way someday.

She'd heard the prophecies when she was young, about how they would unite the land of albion and bring magic back to the land. It was her favorite story when she was a girl, but the older she got the more impossible it sounded. And now here she was, traveling with the two men that would create everything that she had ever hoped for. If there was anyone she would trust to save her son, it was them.

Oh her son. Her dear Doran, trapped in the hold of a king only because she decided to heal him to conserve their food money. Only 6 summers old, she hadn't even begun to tell him of her magical heritage.

He'd been so confused when she'd healed him, and now that confusion must lead to fear for his life. He'd grown up in Camelot, he knew how magic leads straight to death, and now he's caught up in it. Rilare knew that in order for him to have a mother to come home to, she needed to get to safety, but she longed to be there, rescuing her son from the Mad King instead of heading away from him.

Rilare told herself to hold on. She'll be safe with Emrys' mother and will be waiting for him and the Once and Future king to bring Doran safely back to her. They would be arriving shortly in Ealdor, and after that they would ride back to Camelot to rescue her boy. She knew he would make it home safely, she could feel it in her heart. He'd be alright.

* * *

About an hour later, the four travelers finally arrived in Merlin's hometown. Hunith was alerted by one of the village children that her own had returned, and was surprised but happy to see them.

Hunith enclosed her son in a tight, loving embrace, since it had been a few months since they'd seen each other. Merlin quickly explained what had happened and why they had come unannounced. She was a bit wary of the fact that Arthur had found out about Merlin's magic, but when she saw how well he was taking it, she let it slide. She agreed to host Rilare and her son for as long as needed until they could get back on their feet and find a new place to live, far away from Uther.

After talking to Hunith, Arthur decided that it was time for him to return to Camelot. They had been gone for some time and if he left now he could get a reasonable distance before nightfall. Merlin thought this was ridiculous.

"Arthur, we've all been traveling for a few days now and I know that you could use a good night's sleep as much as the rest of us," Merlin said.

Before Arthur could even get in a single word of protest, Merlin continued. "Also, if we head out in the morning and return together, we could pass our absence off as a last-minute hunting trip. If we arrive back at different times, we would have some serious explaining to do and going to visit my mother after you sneaked off to help us with Kanan would not be an acceptable excuse to earn your father's forgiveness for our unexpected disappearance."

Arthur couldn't argue with that logic, and he was quite tired even if he wouldn't admit it, so he let himself be ushered inside by Hunith and Merlin.

Hunith began cooking a stew from some of the chickens she'd bought off Old Man Simmons earlier that day and Rilare offered to help her. While they began to bond over the making of food, Arthur, Merlin, and Will all headed outside to have a moment to talk.

Arthur turned to Will with a very serious expression on his face.

"William, you have been a helpful guide in the use of magic this last week, even if some of it was not exactly what I believed it to be at the time. I would like to offer you a position in Camelot if you so choose.

"You have been good company and a nice companion for both Merlin and I. I would be honored to have you as an asset, especially with the coming rescue of Doran, Rilare's son. It is completely your choice. I know you cherish your home here and if you would like to stay, I completely understand."

Will was shocked, having fully expected to be told to remain in Ealdor. "Thank you, Sire. If it is alright with you, I would like to think on it for a little while. It is a big decision to make and not one to be made lightly."

"Of course," Arthur nodded, "take the night to decide. If you ride with us in the morning that will speak for itself. If you decide to stay, know you are always welcome in Camelot if you would like to visit."

* * *

While they were having their discussion, Hunith and Rilare had been getting to know each other quite well. It seems raising sons, especially ones that were magical or would be someday, came with quite a lot of stories to tell.

Hunith told of many close calls that Merlin had gotten into, and that she'd had to talk their way out of so that his innate magic wouldn't be discovered. Her most memorable of the many experiences was when he and Will had been up on the hill playing with Merlin's magic, when Will tricked him into hitting and cracking a large oak tree. The tree nearly flattened one of the older men in the village, and Hunith had to come help defend her poor boy against his wrath.

Rilare shared a story about when Doran was only three years old. He had been acting particularly odd for a few days, but most children do every once in a while, so she thought nothing of it. After three days of him getting into places that she knew he had no business being, like inside a previously-locked closet, or outside in the middle of the night, she knew something was up.

After some sleuthing she found that he had accidentally come across her box of charms that she kept under her bed. He had touched a pendant enchanted with the unlocking spell and had gained the ability to unlock doors for a short period of time. It was difficult to keep him under control but thankfully it wore off before the week ended. Keeping a child close by when not even locks could hold them was, Rilare found, _quite_ difficult. Hunith could certainly relate, having a son that could do that naturally from his first few days.

By the time the meal was ready, the two of them had become quite close and were looking forward to staying together for a while, circumstances aside.

Hunith headed outside to let the men know that the stew was ready to be eaten. Arthur and Will headed inside, but Hunith stopped Merlin before he could walk away. She turned to him with a concerned look in her eyes, one that only a mother could have for her son.

"Merlin, are you sure you're alright with Arthur knowing about your gifts? I know you tried so hard to keep it a secret. Are you sure he won't hurt you?"

Merlin gave her a 100% genuine smile. "Ever since Arthur and I came to know each other I've wanted to tell him, but I could never find a way or time. Yes, he was angry for a little while, but he came around. We don't have any secrets between us anymore, and I am so thankful for it."

"I'm happy to hear that." Hunith said with a smile, before giving her son a big hug.

* * *

All five of them sat down at the table together. The most powerful sorcerer ever, his oldest friend, the Prince of Camelot, and two mothers who had bonded through the love they each held for their sons. Five people who had once been strangers and were enemies by law had come together to help a mother and her son who needed it. As they sat around the table, sharing stories and talking of plans to save an innocent child, each one of them had the realization that this is how the world was supposed to be; people working together for the good of others. That is what they hoped would become the normal one day in the very distant future, when Camelot had a new king.

* * *

_**There we have it! Basically the conclusion, except for a brief epilogue! I can't believe I've gotten this far! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through this process, and I will see you next week for the final upload! **_

_** \- Lia :) **_


	10. Epilogue

_**I can't believe we're finally here; the last chapter. After more than a year and a half of planning, a year of posting, and lots of support from my wonderful readers and reviewers, Visiting a Friend is finally completed! Wow. Thank you for sticking with me through this process, and I hope you enjoy the epilogue! **_

_**Lots and lots of love, **_

_**Lia :) **_

The next morning, the group was up before dawn preparing for the journey back to Camelot. As Merlin was packing food, Rilare approached him.

"Hello," Merlin said once he noticed her.

Rilare gave him a respectful nod. "I wanted to thank you, Emrys, for all that you're doing for me and my son. You and the prince risk your lives for those you just met. I can tell that the two of you are going to make a great team; better even than the prophecies say."

Merlin looked startled, like he didn't expect for her to realize who he was.

The sorceress just shook her head with a little smirk. "I grew up with the legends of you, Merlin. I had my suspicions when I heard how your magic was able to sustain the lehar stone without contact, but after seeing your magic in person, as well as your relationship with the prince, I figured it out. I am honored that such great men are willing to do so much for Doran and I. I really can't thank you enough."

"It's what we do," Merlin replied. "Neither of you deserved to die and it's up to us to make sure that Uther's bad decisions and beliefs don't cause anyone else pain. I'm sorry that you got caught up in this, but you have my word that we will bring Doran back to you."

Rilare gave him a smile and a hug in thanks, before she walked outside to go watch the sun rise.

Will entered the house once he saw her head out. He approached Merlin and stopped beside him for a moment. They stood side-by-side in silence, both contemplating everything that had happened.

Finally, Merlin spoke. "I won't blame you if you want to stay here. Rescuing Doran when we have no idea where he is will be tough, especially since he's in Uther's care. You'll be safer if you decide not to come back with us."

Will rolled his eyes, clapped his best friend on the back, and reached behind him, planting an already-packed bag onto the small table.

"I'm up for an adventure," He said with a playful grin, one that Merlin happily returned. "We're in this together, Merlin. You and me. And Arthur, of course."

"Naturally," Merlin replied. "Thank you, Will."

Will clasped Merlin's arm, in a knight's gesture. "There's no need to thank me. You're my best friend and I never should have let you go. Where you go, I go."

"Then back to Camelot it is!"

Arthur, Will, and Merlin were just finishing the final preparations for their journey, when Hunith and Rilare approached them one more time.

Hunith went over to her son to make sure he was ready to go and hadn't forgotten anything, while Rilare turned to Arthur and Will.

"I wanted to wish you boys luck and safe travels before you head out. I look forward to seeing you again when you bring my Doran home."

The three mounted their horses and Arthur gave her a deep nod of respect and reassurance. "We'll bring your son back. I give you my word."

With that, Rilare and Hunith watched Arthur, Merlin, and Will ride off into the woods, ready to do their best to Rescue Doran from Uther, and bring him safely home to his mother.

_fin. _


End file.
